Phoebe in Wonderland

I've always been bothered by spoiled kids who get their way. And this movie is about exactly one such little blackmailer. I have to say, Elle Fanning played her more than well. Her little sister is also charming. But the script is one big spoiled, nerve-wracking psycho. I was bothered by the overuse of the words "I want, I want, I want..." and the endless patience of the parents. On the other hand, I would have welcomed a more fairy-tale fantasy for little Phoebe. (07/20/2011)

Little Phoebe is surrounded by a somewhat different world. She is still a little girl and the world around her is trying to understand her. I actually managed to identify with the character of the teacher immediately because Phoebe didn’t really seem that strange to me. She simply had a different way of thinking about stuff compared to other children. So, in terms of the acting performances, the movie was a pleasure to watch, but in the end, I give it an average review, since the interesting idea was brought down by a pretty average and boring execution. (09/30/2015)

My one and only star testifies to the fact that I completely didn't get the film. The sweet face of Elle Fanning and her diligent acting performance are not to blame. Barnz's direction didn't impress me, but the reason for rejecting the film lies elsewhere. I generally don't like this kind of emotional manipulation, because it rarely succeeds in mixing the ingredients in a way that the result doesn't seem like a chef's hand slipped with the sweetener or onions. Phoebe in Wonderland is a typical representative of a large group of American films, where children are portrayed differently than is known from personal experience. They are mentally more mature than their age would suggest. Most American cinema tends to perceive children as little adults who need to be respected and considered equal in their own way. But the fact that little adults cannot compete with the big folk in everything is obvious. Especially not in responsibilities - they are best not burdened by them at all. Hollywood cinema has been assuring us for a decade or so that the quality of parenting depends on how much parents love and care for their children to make them happy - not on how capable they are of raising them, instilling moral principles, preparing them for independent life, adulthood, and the ability to start their own family and succeed in a parental and partnership role. I have the feeling that most American film productions spread the idea that the most important thing in life is the feeling of happiness, not the satisfaction of effort and fulfilled responsibilities. Overall impression: 25%. (02/02/2016)